Water meter



Sgpt. 4, 1934.

W. H. LARRABEE WATER METER Fi1ed Jan. 11, 1952 Z 'EYE/rea: W muy: v

Patented Sept. 4, 1934 Ntra STATES- WATER METER William H. Larrabee, Auburn, Mass., assigner-'to Union Water Meter Company,

,Worcesteig Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application July 17, 1923, Serial No. 223,4711. Divided and this application January 11, 1932-, Serial No. 585,953 l 2 Claims. (ol. 'ze-98) This case contains matter originally presented and divided out of my application filed July 17, 1928, Serial No. 293,470. I

Tie principal objects of this invention are to avoid the making o f a tight joint between a tapered wall or surface of thel outer casing of a water-meter and ay corresponding tapered surface on the measuring disc chamber and the disadvantages to which such a construction is liable, as the sticking of the parts on account or corrosion and the diiculty of removal; to provide a straight machined casing and disc chamber in place of the tapered ones heretofore used, thus making the meter easier to manufacture and assemble and less complicated; to provide simple and convenient means for forcing the outlet of the disc chamber against the outlet of the casing so as to form a tight non-leaking joint which will also cause the disc chamber to act more quickly when the meter is frozen and the bottom plate broken; and to provide means by which no obstruction will be presented to the taking out of the disc chamber when the meter has been frozen. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. l

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a meter with parts in section on a diametrical line through the inlet 'and outlet;

Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and

Fig, 3 is a side view of a portion of the disc chamber.

This invention involves improvements in a well known type of meter and the elements of the meter are shown herein operating in general in the usual way, and there is nothing new in the method of measuring the Water in this case. The various features of this invention are shown as applied to the so-called King Disc Meter, which is of the positive measuring self-draining type.

As is usual, the meter comprises a casing 10, preferably of bronze, to provide a non-rusting surface, having an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. This casing is shown in this case as having its open bottom closed by a cast iron plate 13 capable of being fractured by the ice pressure. This casing as usual has a aring portion 17 at the top and a cap 18 which is provided with a pivoted cover 19 `under which are the pointers and dial to be read to show the amount of water measured by the meter.

The bronze disc chamber 20 is placed, in assembling, with its outlet port registering with the outlet/port of the casing. The two finished surfaces thus meeting are both vertical and straight, that is, cylindrical to form a tight non-leaking joint. The disc chamber is placed with its upper edge against a shoulder 9 on the upper'casing. @e A cam Vor eccentric 8 is then turned, bearing as it does on the exact opposite side of the lower en d of thedisc chamber, forcing the casing against the inner wall of the outlet port 1 2. When the joint is made, the chamber is held in place by means of the bottom plate and the gasket 7 which is supplied.

In order to loosen the chamber, all that is necessary to do is to remove the bottom plate, give Y the cam or eccentric 8 a slight turn, which can be 701 done by introducing a small tool or screw-driver inside and operating the stem 14 on which the cam is fixed. This has a slot in its end for a screw-driver. Then the inside mechanism will all drop out. This arrangement also causes the disc chamber to act more quickly when the meter is frozen andthe bottom plate broken.

The disc chamber is provided with a plurality of separated vertical surfaces 15 which are the ones turned to a true cylindrical shape, as stated. Bil- Y Three of these are shown, one wide surface in which the outlet is located and two narrow surfaces. Between the latter and exactly diametrically opposite the outlet is a cast vertical surface 16 against which the cam 8 engages for locking 85 this chamber in the casing. This surface 16 is uniform and of arcuate cylindrical shape and is located on the bottom half of the lower part of the disc chamber. Directly above it on the `opper half of the disc chamber is an inwardly slanting cast, or unfinished, surface 22. The cam engages the surface 16 near the top thereof. in case of freezing, the bottom plate 13 breaks and the cam of course remains in locking position, but when the lower half of the casing 2Q moves even slight- 95 ly downward, either by the expansion of the ice,

or otherwise, the cam 8 passes oif the surface 16. This leaves it in registration with the inwardly slanting surface 22 and no obstacle is presented to the removal of the disc chamber. This is the 10G only feature shown herein not contained in, and divided out of, my above named application.

It has been customary heretofore to place the entire metering mechanism in the upper casing i and hold it in place by the cast iron bottom. 1t 105 is necessary therefore to machine the inside of the uppercasing to a certain taper and the disc chamber to avcorresponding taper to t in it, thus forming a tight joint when the disc chamber is forced in. This construction prevented leakage but it was diicult to make and after considerable use the two parts would be liable to corrode together so as to be very hard to separate, In order to avoid these diiliculties I make these two parts entirely separate so that they do not fit each other' at all except at one side and the disc chamber is held in piace by the eccentric or cam Sand the bottom plate 13 cooperating with the shoulder 9, as stated. The water entering the inlet il goes into the bronze disc chamber 20 through inlet opening 21.

It will be seen that I have provided a plurality of improvements in the existing'structure,E tlie's'e' improvements all tending to facilitate theseparation of the parts automatically incase of freezing, without breaking the parts' and addv to the ease of assembling and dis-assembling for repair, as well as avoid the setting up of galvanic action between the dissimilar metals necessarilyA employed. Also the disc chamber is held inpla'ce in a novel manner and thisprevcnts leakage withoutany necessity*oifmachining the disc chamber ton exactly t a tapered surface on the inside or" the meter casing. d

Although; Ihave illustrated and described only @liefern 0f (the invention I am ewa-re 0f thefact that rnodiationsV can be made'therein by any person slrillleduin thei art without departing from age, and a stem to which the cam is fixed and by which it can be turned accessible from the bottom of the casing when opened.

2. In a water-meter, the combination of an upright casing andA disc chamber therein inside the casing engaging one side of the 'casing but not the` other, a cam engaging the side of the disc chamber which does not engage the casing and mounted. to vbeturned on a vertical axis to force the chamber horizontally against the opposite Wall of the casing to provide a tight t to prevent lealsaae, saidcam having an. Operating. Stem` ac- Ces/sible.. from the. bottom; wheny the casing is opened, the disc chamber havingllrface; against which. the. Cam. engagea and, a. rec di,r1eA Surface immediately. ahorre. the. last. name ci.surface tora- Qilitate.. tharemoval of the disc chamber inl case or.fleeting.4

' WILLIAM H'. LABRABEE.

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